1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to ejector means for use with a card edge connector, particularly to the ejector which is adapted to be assembled to the housing of the connector, and includes a stopper to incorporate engagement means for preventing such ejector from over-rotation during releasing a card therefrom.
2. The Prior Art
Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM) is more and more popular for use in the present PC industry, and thus it is required to have a DIMM socket connector mounted on the mother board for mechanical and electrical reception of the corresponding DIMM therein for signal transmission between the mother board and the DIMM. Some of the DIMM connectors may be referred to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,074,800, 5,167,517, 5,211,568, 5,302,133 and 5,364,282 wherein the main feature of the typical DIMM connector in comparison with the conventional card edge connector as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,734, is that the DIMM connector includes generally a pair of latch/eject members at its two opposite ends so that such DIMM may be not only properly latchably retained in the DIMM connector without possibility of inadvertent withdrawal by vibration or external impact, but also easily ejected from the DIMM connector by rotational movement of the latch/eject member.
As shown in FIG. 1 which is generally FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,282, the housing 2 of the connector 1 includes an opening 3 at either end in which the latch/eject member 4 is embedded for being adapted to not only lock the module 5 in the housing 2 in the latching status, but also eject the module 5 from the housing 2 in the unlatching status. Two problems may occur thereof wherein the first one is that there is no means for limiting the rotation of such latch/eject member 4 with regard to the housing 2 and that may result in hitting or jeopardizing the components which are mounted on the mother board closely adjacent to the end of the housing 2. The second one is that the opening 3 is substantially somewhat too large to jeopardize the strength of the corresponding portions of the housing 2, and it is desired to have a transverse wall positioned in the opening 3 which may efficiently provide a reinforcement for the spaced opposite side walls 6 around the opening 3. This reinforcement provision is desired because such pair of side walls 6 are substantially forced by the actuation forces which are imposed on the rotation spindles of the latch/eject member 4, and tend to be broken by such forces if no additional support means is properly connected to such pair of side walls 6 around or even in such opening 3. While, it is noted that because the latch/eject member 4 is generally loaded vertically into the housing 2 from the top, it is hardly possible to build an aforementioned support means approximate the opening 3 without obstructing the conventional vertical type assembling of the latch/eject member 4 in the connector 1.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a DIMM connector having at least a latch/eject member at one end for releasably latching the DIMM therein wherein rotation restriction means is provided therewith for prohibiting the latch/eject member from over-rotation during ejecting the DIMM from the connector.
Another object of the invention is to provide a DIMM connector wherein the housing of the connector includes a reinforcement wall transversely positioned between the two opposite side walls approximate the opening, in which the latch/eject member is received, for enhancement of the structure strength around the opening but such reinforcement wall will substantially not obstruct the assembling of the latch/eject member 4 into the connector housing 2.